This study is to apply the TAM using the addition of perceived information to individuals’ behavioral intention to use.
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This study is to compare the explanatory power of the original TAM model with the expanded TAM.
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Food involvement plays a significant moderating function in between perceived information and perceived usefulness.
Abstract
The objectives of this study are to apply the TAM using the addition of perceived information to individuals' behavioral intention to use the QR code for the food traceability system; and to determine the moderating effects of food involvement on the relationship between perceived information and perceived usefulness. Results from a survey of 420 respondents are analyzed using structural equation modeling. The study findings reveal that the extended TAM has a satisfactory fit to the data and that the underlying dimensions have a significant effect on consumers' intention to use the QR code for the food traceability system. In addition, food involvement plays a significant moderating function in the relationship between perceived information and perceived usefulness. The implications of this study for future research are discussed.
Graphical abstract
Note: Numbers in parentheses are critical ratio, and numbers outside of parentheses are the standardized path coefficients; the path coefficient between PI and PU was 0.546 in the high-FIG, the path coefficient between PI and PU was 0.456; *p < .01.Image 1
With the development of information technology, the food traceability system which can reduce individuals' concerns about food safety by providing unambiguous information about the safety and quality of the whole process, from producers to consumers—has been broadly disseminated in the food industries (e.g., Badia-Melis et al., 2015, Cozzolino, 2014, Lin et al., 2014, Melo et al., 2015).
The policy makers in the public health sectors of many countries have accepted the food traceability system. For instance, the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) employed the tracking software system Grapenet, an internet-based electronic service for certification of grapes for export from India to the EU (Badia-Melis et al., 2015). In the US, food traceability information has been mandatory since 2002, and facilities, transport organizations, storage facilities, and other food handlers have been responsible for recording information, including product descriptions and providers' and recipients' addresses and phone numbers if the goods cross state lines (US FMSA, 2011). South Korea also introduced a beef traceability system, which traces the distribution channel for beef (Badia-Melis et al., 2015).
The Quick Response (QR) code, one of the traceability systems, has been introduced to the food industries as a two-dimensional barcode (e.g., Shin et al., 2012, Tarjan et al., 2011, Tarjan et al., 2015). The QR code can hold considerably more information than the one-dimensional code, as it can embed text, video, advertisements, personal information, etc.
The QR code can be integrated into users' smartphone applications; that is, the smartphone can scan and decode information and messages about products that the QR code provides. The use of the QR code is increasing globally (Shin et al., 2012, Tarjan et al., 2011), but even with its introduction for food traceability in the food industry (Fig. 1), there has been limited research on consumer acceptance of its usefulness for providing food information or the use of the QR code for the food traceability system in the context of food research.
A significant number of studies have indicated that the technology acceptance model (TAM) is a suitable psychometric tool with which to assess consumers' acceptance of technology, determined by the individual's perception of the new technology's usefulness (e.g., Venkatesh & Davis, 1996). Therefore, the first purpose of this study is to apply the TAM to individuals' acceptance of the QR code for the food traceability system.
While, Chen and Huang (2013) examined the moderating effect of involvement between uncertainty, formed by the lack of information on foods, and consumer behavior. They found that the higher one's degree of involvement and the more the food traceability system mitigates their uncertainty, the greater their intention to buy a food. Other previous studies have also stressed that the function of consumer involvement in foods is a topic worth investigation (Karlsen et al., 2011, Verbeke and Vackier, 2004). Therefore, the other purpose of the present study is to determine the moderating effects of food involvement on the relationship between constructs of the TAM.
Section snippets
Technology acceptance model (TAM) and perceived information
Derived from the theory of human reasonability developed by Ajzen and Fishbein (1980), the TAM explains the determinants of users' acceptance of technology (Davis, 1989, Davis et al., 1989). The TAM shows that a user's attitude toward a particular technology is determined by the individual's perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) of the technology. The TAM is supported by the relationships among belief, attitude, and behavior (Davis et al., 1989).
PU refers to the degree to
Research instruments
The current study uses the extended TAM—consisting of PI, PU, PEOU, attitude toward using (ATT)—to identify the level of consumers' acceptance of the food traceability system and BI to measure those structural relationships. Each construct was measured with multiple items using a 5-point Likert scale (ranging from 1 = strongly disagree/extremely unlikely to 5 = strongly agree/extremely likely) (e.g., Davis et al., 1989, Muk and Chung, 2015, Rese et al., 2014, Venkatesh and Davis, 1996).
This study
Measurement model
Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using AMOS 18.0 was conducted to test the measurement model before examining the relationships between the latent constructs and their indicators. Given the sensitivity of the chi-square statistics to sample size (Anderson and Gerbing, 1988, Hair et al., 2009), the overall model fit was assessed using six goodness-of-fit indices (i.e., comparative fit index (CFI), goodness of fit index (GFI), adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI), normalized fit index (NFI),
Discussions and implications
The current study began at the current point of the research; although previous studies have applied the TAM to consumer behaviors (e.g., Venkatesh & Davis, 1996), limited research in the food industry has dealt with the importance of PI in consumers' decisions related to the QR code for the food traceability system and the moderating influences on the relationship between PI and PU in the TAM. The study applied the TAM with PI to individuals' BI to use the QR code for the food traceability
This study proposes a sustainable blockchain framework for the halal food supply chain. As is widely acknowledged, blockchain could enhance supply chain integrity, but its impacts on the halal food supply chain are unknown. Disruptive technologies for Industry 4.0 can improve transparency, which is desperately needed in the food supply chain; however, various challenges are also incurred. Based on five in-depth halal food supply chain case studies, this paper reveals a practical framework for overcoming the challenges faced by the halal food supply chain pertaining to blockchain implementation. The framework comprises five key challenges that are vital to small and medium enterprises in halal food supply chain blockchain implementation. The findings also indicate that the halal food supply chain can gain a congruent and fresh perspective in inducing or superseding blockchain technology. In addition, the roles of supply chain integration and food regulations as the key enablers on the success of blockchain technology in the halal food supply chain are also discussed in this study. Additionally, the limitations and future research directions are also discussed.
As the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic play out globally, the banking industry has been affected in both positive and negative ways, with the crisis creating both opportunities and threats for the collaborations between FinTech and banks. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of FinTech products (FTPs) on commercial bank's performance in China. Required data are collected with a quantitative approach and two self-designed questionnaires were distributed to customers and employees of commercial banks in China. The gathered data were examined using the structural equation modeling technique. The results of this study reveal that the perceived usefulness (PU) of FTPs has positive and significant impacts on customer satisfaction, low expectation of bank employee assistance, bank's service quality and employee work efficiency. Additionally, the perceived difficulty of use (PD) of FTPs has negative and significant impacts on customer satisfaction and low expectation of assistance. Interestingly, there is a positive and significant relationship between PD and banks' service quality and work efficiency, meaning that the service quality and work efficiency can reduce some shortcomings of using FTPs. This study recognizes the need to enhance the understanding of FTPs on non-financial firm performance. This is the first study that helps commercial banks in China understand the perception of FTPs from both customer and employee perspectives.
Food safety has garnered much worldwide attention recently for reasons that are, unfortunately, not always positive. Traceability system (TS) is designed to assure safe and good quality food, while reducing the costs of food recalls. It should encompass all stakeholders, including governments, companies, and consumers, each of whom has an important role in the implementation and guardianship of such systems. The EU and China are amongst the main players implementing TS and are constantly exploring new opportunities and monitoring challenges for TS in a time of shifting consumer demands and rapid new technology innovation.
This article states development stages from TS 1.0 to 3.0. and reviews TS development in a number of key countries and regions. Comparisons between the EU and China are drawn in terms of government, corporate, and consumer involvement in traceability.
A functional TS, while providing bi-directional communication between trading partners, must meet the laws and regulations where it operates. A functional system must also consider consumer value and perception, which varies with geography. There are a variety of promising technologies available on the market today to modernize TS, including artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain. A key finding of this research is that both the EU and China have developed significant trade links in recent years which will certainly positively impact both economies. Key to underpinning the sustainability of these trade links will be the adoption of common TS to prevent negative associations.
Food safety is a very important topic in China. We investigate Chinese consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for food traceability using a choice experiment. Given that consumers’ trust in the food system may affect their preferences and WTP, we also assess the interaction between consumers’ trust in government’s supervision of food safety and food labels and consumers’ preferences for traceable food products. Using data collected from a choice experiment on Fuji apples in a face-to-face survey in six Chinese cities, the results show that (i) consumers are willing to pay for traceable food but their valuations can differ upon the degree of their trust in government’s supervision of food safety and food labels; (ii) consumers are willing to pay for traceability with strong evidence of preference heterogeneity; (iii) government is not the most trusted safety inspection and certificate authority as found in prior studies using animal food products in China.
